Briefs: Big “Glee” Casting News, Deciphering JJ Abrams’ Latest Tease, and The Death Of A Former Disney Star

Birthday shoutouts go to Callum Blue (above), who is 40, Matthew Perry is 44, and Kyra Sedgwick is 48.

29-year-old Lee Thompson Young, who starred on Disney’s The Famous Jett Jackson and TNT’s Rizolli & Isles, has died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Demi Lovato has joined the cast of Glee for a significant arc. “According to sources, Lovato (who turns 21 on Tuesday) will play Dani, a NYC-based struggling artist friend of Rachel and Santana’s. She will also interact frequently with Adam Lambert’s incoming character, and the pair will have several musical numbers together.”

David Beckham‘s Fall underwear ads will be out later this week. Here’s a sneak peek.

And here’s The Weekly ShoutOUT™. Each week we’re going to focus on one out athlete/performer and feature a daily pic and career timeline. We’ll be showcasing the big names, but also the lesser-known gay celebs who deserve more recognition. This week we give a ShoutOUT to … Jay Brannan. 31-year-old singer-songwriter-actor Jay got his big break in a big way, appearing in John Cameron Mitchell‘s 2006 Shortbus, which garnered controversy and accolades for its explicit sexuality. Jay acted in the film and appears on the soundtrack with “Soda Shop,” which was his first professionally recorded track. You can see him perform the song below, from “Toilet Studios.”

Now, presenting … THE TOP 40 HORROR FILMS OF THE 80’S! Journey with me back to the birth of the Dead Teenager movie (actually, that began in the 70’s, so I guess it would be the Afterbirth Of The Dead Teenager Movie), the last gasps of the Italian Horror Masters, and the franchises that still continue today. Yes, your Freddy, Jason, and Chucky will be represented, but I’m also going to pay tribute to the obscurities that deserve to be seen. And here we have the TOP TEN HORROR FILMS OF THE 80’S! At #7 is … The Evil Dead

I had to decide which of Sam Raimi‘s 80’s horror classics to include, and I went with the original, because it provides a more visceral horror experience, and was really the template for low-budget horror filmmaking in the 80’s. Evil Dead 2 was loads of fun with its slapstick gore and “everything including the kitchen sink” approach, but the original was something fresh and unique, and still holds up over thirty years later (well, most of it. Some of the effects are wince-worthy, which is understandable given the time, and I can really do without the Tree Rape scene). Tomorrow’s Clue – This sure ain’t Walnut Grove.